Taylor's Hall of Fame case could be helped by six more sacks

Jason Taylor hasn't come out and said this will be his last season in the NFL, but there are plenty of whispers that he's using 2011 as his last tour of duty.

Good thing he's doing it with the Miami Dolphins, the franchise where he's spent the majority his 15 seasons (when he wasn't forcing a trade out of Miami, or banished by former team czar Bill Parcells).

Even though he's Koa Misi's backup, Taylor's using the Dolphins to write the final chapter of what he hopes is a Hall of Fame career. But to end it on a positive note Taylor needs six sacks this season.

That's why I'm calling this season "Six for Sixth" when it comes to the campaign this once great pass rusher needs to put together.

Taylor presently has 132.5 career sacks. He's one sack from surpassing Lawrence Taylor and Leslie O'Neal for sole possession of eighth place on the NFL's career sacks list.

But more importantly, Taylor's six sacks from owning sole possession of sixth place.

Why is sixth so important? Because it'll put him right behind former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, who produced 141.5 sacks in his 15 seasons. Strahan will likely be the next pass rusher voted into the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible in 2012.

Strahan is one of Taylor's peers from this era, and we all know Hall of Famers are compared with their peers, and drafting behind Strahan (who has a Super Bowl ring) might benefit this Dolphins legend.

Six sacks would put Taylor ahead of Richard Dent and John Randle, who both finished their career with 137.5 sacks. Why is that important? Because Randle doesn't have a Super Bowl ring, and Taylor likely won't have one either by the time his career is finished.

With a ring he'd likely become a lock for the Hall of Fame. Without it the campaign loses some ground.

Without a ring Taylor might have to wait as long as Rickey Jackson (128 sacks) or Derrick Thomas (126.5) did to get into the gold jacket club, which is for the NFL's elites of elites.

If Taylor got to sixth on the career sacks list the only sack masters ahead of him would be Bruce Smith (200), Reggie White (198), Kevin Greene (160), Chris Doleman (105.5) and Strahan.

Of that group only Smith and White are presently in the Hall of Fame. Strahan is on his way. Greene and Doleman might get their one day, but they'll likely have to wait for bit, maybe till the Legends vote.

Truthfully speaking, it's likely that Jason Taylor will have to wait too, but six sacks could help speed up the process.

Considering Taylor managed five sacks last season as a role player with the Jets it's hard to think this 36-year-old can't squeeze out six more considering he'll be exclusively used on passing downs in 2011, put on the other side of Pro Bowler Cameron Wake.

So, in your opinion has Jason Taylor put together a Hall of Fame career?